BOTH the glory of Lapu-Lapu and Manny has something to do with winning a fight—in the battle field and in the ring.
But aren?t we pushing it? The Battle of Mactan was on April 27, 1521 in a particular coast people now can only guess. The Spanish diarist Antonio Pigafetta, among the people who were there, couldn?t accurately say which part of Mactan and, as a stranger, he had no familiar landmarks for guide.
In the coming April 27, 2008 reenactment, the government and the people had long decided where the battle was.
Now with it connected to the memory of another event (Pacquiao?s winning), I hope we will not be confusing history a century hence, as some facts in the history on the Battle of Mactan are debated on.
There are the facts and the legends—both mixing. We get history from the diary of Pigafetta, the Italian chronicler of Magellan?s voyage in search of the Spice Islands. And we have the loving legends on the winner chieftain of Mactan, Lapu-Lapu.
Pigafetta in his chronicle could have been objective, even as part of the conquering team. He seemed fair since he was said to have paid for the trip, like one determined to record it carefully, not hired as media in a free trip across the globe.
But that was years ago. Today, there?s boxer Manny Pacquiao asked to play Lapu-Lapu, the native hero, in the Battle of Mactan reenactment this month. What if the next generations would not know what a battle in the ring means (like the newest generation does not know what a takyan game is)? What if in the eyes of your great, great grandchild Manny would be seen as the hero of Mactan, instead?
Pigafetta talked about the battle in 1521, counting 48 men (and himself) from their boat splashing down the water waist-deep and walking through to reach the shore of Mactan where Lapu-Lapu?s men waited. There was no way that Magellan?s boats could land close to the shore because of the unexpected sea rocks and coral reefs. And so the greater firepower on board the ships couldn?t be used from too far out at sea.
Perhaps you could also say that it was because there were about 1,500 native warriors so that the 48 Spaniards couldn?t win. But some historians say the count can?t be true because at the time of the small communities, the population was mostly composed of blood relations. A number of about 300 Mactan warriors would have been nearer the truth, they say.
But to Pigafetta, an overwhelming number of native warriors fought, screaming, angry. Clusters jumped on Magellan once they realized which one he was.
So we come to another puzzler—did Lapu-Lapu kill Magellan or was it his men who did it? Historically, as based on Pigafetta?s diary, Magellan was killed by the Mactan natives. Here, Pigafetta makes a close-up, so to say, of the events. From among the natives, someone shot Magellan ?with a poisoned arrow,? according to the diarist.
Magellan fell on his face the minute his left leg was hit by a big scimitar called kampilan. At this point, more natives rushed on him with iron and bamboo spears, he could not survive it. Then, as Pigafetta put it, ?they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide.? This was after Magellan tried to make a sign to his soldiers to move back slowly but they fled, leaving only less than ten soldiers with him and Pigafetta.
Mactan in 1521 was a small community where conquistadores from across the globe fought Magellan and his men, and drove them away, killing the Portuguese captain. This was a small event which rings big now as part of world history. Yes, Lapu-Lapu?s men killed Magellan, thus, Lapu-Lapu did.
But the point of the celebration of the Battle of Mactan is not that the invading Spaniards were driven away by people from a small community, or their captain killed. April 27 is f?ted because the Mactan chieftain Lapu-Lapu was brave enough to refuse to let others grab power from his people, even as other local datus gave in and paid tribute to the Spanish king. There was not the fight to win but the honor to uphold.
